Quaid-e-Azam’s Birth-place: A Lost treasure

KARACHI (web desk) – 137th birth anniversary of the founder of nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is being celebrated today. Jinnah Poonja, Quaid's father migrated from Gujrat to Karachi about a year before Quaid’s birth. He rented the 2nd floor of Wazir mansion at Kharadar and spent several years of his life at house. All the siblings of Quaid-e-Azam including himself were born in the same house.

In 1953, Government of Pakistan purchased Wazir mansion from its owner and after renovation its ground floor turned it into a reading hall. An antiquities gallery was established on its first floor, and being a birth place of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah it was declared as a national heritage of Pakistan. Wazir mansion got opened for public 1st time on 14th August 1953 as a museum.

Another gallery was added in 1982 when Qauid-e-Azam relic’s commission received some other antiquities by Sheeri'n Jinnah- a sister of Qauid-e-Azam.

This Building remained closed for restoration from 2003 to 2010 and after it got its refurbished looks it’s quite fascinating from both outside and inside.

Galleries on two floors possess Qauid-e-Azam's furniture, dresses, shoes, stationary, his personal dairy and some of the collection of his second wife 'Rati Bai'. The collection of Qauid-e-Azam's law books is also preserved at the ground floor of the mansion, where the visitors can witness these books, which are neither found at his Mausoleum nor at his residencies in Karachi and Bombay.

According to museum staff, Nelson Mandela also visited the birth place of Quaid-e-Azam during his visit to Pakistan in 1992; unfortunately no proof is available as the guest book has been lost containing the signature of Mandela.

On the birth anniversary of Qauid-e-Azam, low number of visitors at his birth place is a symbol that there is a strong need to create awareness in public about Qauid-e-Azam and his belongings otherwise such national heritages would become a lost treasure.